Zhilei Zhang has gone from the top of so-called the who needs him club to now being an interesting fight for many of the world’s most prominent heavyweights but it doesn’t seem like he is in a rush to face off with any of those names who ignored his advances before his high profile win over Joe Joyce, telling one of them to ‘get in line.’
Despite being 40 years old, ‘Big Bang’ Zhang was impressive in his second straight knockout of Joe Joyce. He was punching loose and heavy and waited for the perfect opening before felling Joyce with a looping right hand in the third round of their rematch this past weekend.
For many in the division, he now represents a solid challenge and a marquee name to overcome, not least because he retains the WBO mandatory status after his recent victory.
Speaking to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions through a translator, Zhang shut Derek Chisora down when the veteran heavyweight asked if they could fight and reminded him of what happened when the boot was on the other foot.
“When I had no fights, you turned me down.”
Chisora then asked again if that was a no and Zhang held firm with his response.
“Get in a line.”
The pair eventually shook hands while Chisora reiterated his desire to fight the towering southpaw, who stated again that he is more interested in fighting Tyson Fury, though it is believed Fury’s team is trying to make the Oleksandr Usyk fight next.
Should Fury beat Usyk and take the WBO title off the Ukranian, Zhang might well get his shot at ‘The Gypsy King’ as the mandatory challenger for that belt.